Leander Club & Tideway Sc. Sch. v Oxford Brookes Univ.- Visitors' | Henley 2025 Finals

And start again. All level, as we see the final of the visitors. It's intermediate Open Coxless Fours. It's Leander and Tideway Scullers School versus Oxford Brookes University. I'm joined by Fergus Mainland, the host of the End of the Island podcast. And we are really excited about this event. What's that start looking like for you? Thank you very much, Cass. Yeah, the start from Oxford Brookes, they're just drifting out into the middle of the course and that's them just correcting their line. But in the early stages of this race, in the final, that Oxford Brookes looking for redemption after looking last year, you know, a nervous start from them, but back up and running that rhythm. You know, just look at those shoulders, Catherine, the Brookes vote. They're nice and controlled, nice and relaxed, but out in front already. Terrific start from Leander and Tideway Scullers. There is so much talent in this race. We can see Oxford Brookes on the near side here. Ryan Spellman, Callum Gilby, Jonathan Cameron and Travis O'Neill. But my goodness, they're already having questions asked of them as we look at some incredible experienced rowers only between the ages of 20 and 25. But they already have a bunch of junior medals, under 23 medals. They've raced in the college races over on the other side. And look, they are already leading. They've already got clear water. It looks like coming at the end, it's devastating that start that we can see there. It's Calvin Tarzi in the stroke, famous for being part of that unbelievable St Paul's crew that set records in 2018. He's been to Harvard. He's been coaching the Shiplake crew as well, who we're going to see in the next race. So much talent. And he is doing a great job leading that crew as we now see close up the rhythm in the Oxford Brookes crew. Yeah, difficult position for Oxford Brookes to be in at this point in the race. You know, out of the corner of their eyes, they won't be able to see anything. All they'll be able to see and feel is the puddles from their opposition that are just being thrust upon them at this point in the race. Terrific start from the Leander and Tideway Scholars school crew. You know, Calvin Tarzi, you mentioned you're one of the great athletes coming up through. And like so many of our great athletes, they're going across, getting educated at the great universities in the United States of America. Calvin Tarzi, Harvard man, Harry Geffen, a Yale man, Cameron Bacai. You know, he's in the Harvard Varsity this year that won the silver medal at the IRA National Championship. It's oozing with talent, this boat. And you can see it on display here at Henley Royal Regatta. But they're getting warned at the moment. The umpire's got his flag out again, warning them just as they're drifting into the middle of the course at this stage. That's right. It's Coxless Falls. They've got to steer themselves down. It's a blustery day. There's all sorts of washes coming across, but there is a lot of experience here. And we see Harry Geffen there in the three seat backing up Calvin Tarzi. That is a rock solid rhythm. They are such style in the way they row, the length that they row. Look at that. They're really relaxed. And yet there is so much power going down. Imagine the splits if they were on rowing machines. They would be scary what they can put down. Stroke after stroke, keeping the length really accurate as they drop the oars in, really focused on their rhythm whilst Oxford Brookes are struggling. Yeah, Oxford Brookes. You know, they were in a similar position at this point last year. They were losing finalists to a terrific opponent they came up against. So will history be repeating themselves? You know, it's a new look crew from Oxford Brookes this year. They haven't spent a huge amount of time training and racing together, coming together for Henley Royal Regatta. But it looks like perhaps a bit of a move coming from that Oxford Brookes crew at this point. You know, the advantage that Leander and Tideway Scholars were able to get in the opening stages of this race hasn't grown a huge amount over the last hundred metres or so. Perhaps Oxford Brookes will start to see them surge in the middle stages of this race now. Oxford Brookes know how to prepare a crew for absolutely every event in the Henley Royal Regatta program. There are two of them here, Travis O'Neill and Callum Gilby, who won in the Temple last year. They know what's required. They are really going to try and go for it. They're actually drifting a little bit into the middle, as often happens when you feel that you're catching up the other crew a little bit. So they're probably going to have to steer, but they will have an immense push as they come past Remen. We know that that always happens in the Oxford Brookes in their race plans. Certainly a little move of the rudder there from Oxford Brookes, just drifting back out from the centre of the course. That'll cost them a little bit of speed there. You can see there, Jonathan Cameron there, the big man in the three seat without the sunglasses on. You know, he was part of the Oxford Brookes crew that won back in 2023 this Visitor's Challenge Cup crew. Also part of the Clare's Court crew that won in 2016, won the Foley Challenge Cup and the triple. So much Henley experience on board in this crew. You know, we're into the second half of this stage. Oxford Brookes, we saw the movie in the middle stages of this race. They've got to go and they've got to go again if they're going to get back into contention. So we have the overhead shot and Oxford Brookes have got almost contact back. That's incredible. They were really dumped, it looked like, at the start. But they are such tenacious rowers. They go through a programme where they are side by side, day in, day out, through the winter. The levels, the demands are there. The resilience in their technique and their physiology is there. And they are asking questions of the Leander Club and Tideway Scullers School crew. Inch by inch, Kat. It just looks they're starting to get their bow balls moving up the stern. You've got a big look round there from the stroke man in the Oxford Brookes. That's Travis O'Neill. Let's just check to see where Leander's crew are at the moment. And they are moving. But look into this move. Calvin Tarzi, a lot of pain on his face. He's the one with the steering foot at the moment. He's in control of where they are on the course. And he's leading his crew into the stewards enclosure at the moment. They are not looking so comfortable now, that Leander Club and Tideway Scullers School, because of the pressure that Oxford Brookes have put on them. And they know they have to dig in. You could see it on Calvin Tarzi's face. We've got to go. We've got to lift the rate. We've got to find more power, even though we've been at maximum power all the way. And that Oxford Brookes program, they'll be now winding it up, winding it up, finding everything they've got. Look at the pain on Travis O'Neill's his face, his head, as he actually tries to lever almost the all with his head, with every bit of his body. They're trying to lift. They can't get back on terms yet. While they are throwing the absolute kitchen sink at this one, Cathy, you know, all four of those Brookes athletes, Brian Spellman, Callum Galeby, Jonathan Cameron, Travis O'Neill, leading his men to the best of his ability. But it's not going to be enough in the closing stages of this race. Calvin Tarzi's crew of Leander Club and Tideway Scullers School coming up to the finish line. It is an under 23 development crew with Calvin Tarzi leading them as they storm across the line. They were pushed all the way by Oxford Brookes in this Visitor's Challenge Cup. Phenomenal race. Leander and Tideway Scullers School have beaten Oxford Brookes in a thriller, a lung buster for all of those men. Here we see them coming to the line. They were pushed. They had to go deep into the reserves in order to stay ahead. Incredibly tenacious row from Oxford Brookes. We expect nothing less. They always come and deliver their best on race day. But it is the Leander Club and Tideway Scullers School who will be receiving red boxes.